China experienced its hottest August on record

China recorded its hottest August since meteorological data began to be collected in 1961, state broadcaster CCTV reported today, after weeks of an unusually long heatwave in the country.

Last month, China’s average temperature was 22.4 degrees Celsius, 1.2 degrees above the previous record, CCTV reported, citing the meteorological service.

Summer heat waves are not uncommon in China, especially in the western and southern parts of the country.

But the Asian giant has faced extreme weather this year, exacerbated by global warming, according to scientists.

According to CCTV, at 267 data stations across the country last month, temperatures reached record highs or broke records.

August was also the third driest month on record in China, with average rainfall 23.1% below normal.

This summer, “the number of days with high temperature was abnormally high,” the weather service told the television network, clarifying that the effects are still being felt.

In many provinces, temperatures have exceeded 40 degrees Celsius in recent weeks, resulting in an almost systematic shift of consumers to air conditioners.

The problem: the power grid is struggling to respond as rivers dry up due to high temperatures and dams struggle to operate. Many provinces were thus forced to impose rationing on electricity consumption, following the example of Sichuan (southwest), one of the worst affected regions of the country.

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